After Eclipse
by hysteriabliss
Summary: This happens after Eclipse, starting with Jake running. I have a basic idea of plot, but I'm still not sure if it will be E/B or J/B...we'll just have to see what Bella decides. R&R, please!
1. Jake Running

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Twilight characters described in this poem. They are the property of their fabulous author, Stephenie Meyer, and I write this simply as a tribute to her fine work.**

Jake's POV:

I bounded deeper into the forest, my legs not even aching with exertion yet, despite the distance I had covered in the past 4 hours. I had left myself too far behind to feel pain now. I stopped, phasing back into my human form, and gasped slightly as my tall form hit the tall trees. _Maybe this wasn't the best idea, phasing..._I thought. I had left my clothes, shredded and scattered, at the entrance to the forest, some 600 miles back.

_At least I'm alone,_ was my next thought. I fell over in pain as I thought of the eternal meaning behind those words. I would be alone, without her, forever. _I can't think about that now. It's over. I just have to accept that. _And yet, I would never accept it-I would always long for what could have been, what should have been, and I would always despise the bloodsucker. Edward. I spat his name.

I phased again, letting my massive form absorb the pain that I could not consciously bear. And I ran, disappearing into the forest.

**Sorry it was short! I don't have much time now, because of finals, but I hope you enjoyed it! It's the first fanfic I've written for a long time, so please read and review! I'll add the next chapter soon, I hope!**


	2. Telling Charlie

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story-they are the property of the amazing and fantastic Stephenie Meyer. Don't worry, I'll put them back when I'm done.**

**This is a continuation of what happens after chapter 7 in ****Eclipse****, so we'll switch gears to where Edward and Bella are, leaving Jake running for now.**

Edward's POV:

I was confused. How could this be right for her? She had been in so much pain, her anguish wrenching at my heart. Of course, I had seen how she had been after I left in the dog's–wait, no, Jacob's, I really frustrated her when I referred to him as that–head–torn apart, mourning. But could this really be right? To take her away, forever, from the true love she should have had, would have had, had I not existed, if the world was as it should be?

We were in my Volvo now, driving to her house, prepared to tell Charlie the news of our engagement and marriage. My hand rested on her knee, and her head was propped comfortingly on my head. She was practically shaking. "It's going to be okay, Bella, sweetheart. He's been expecting this. Nothing bad will happen to you, I promise," I reassured her, unsuccessfully.

"It's not me I'm worried about. It's Charlie! What will he do without me there, cooking, doing laundry, talking to him? He'll whither away, a lonely old man, and I will know eternally that it's my fault!" she cried out, turning her head to nuzzle it into my shoulder. I stroked her smooth, brown hair, contemplating where all of her guilt came from. She always took blame for everything, despite the fact that none of it was ever actually her fault–there was often very little she could actually do to prevent herself from getting into trouble–it was simply her nature. Most things she blamed herself for were, in their entirety, my fault!

We arrived quickly at the small brick house, and I pushed down gently on the brake, not wanting to surprise her. I sifted quickly through the thoughts around me, searching for those of Chief Swan. I found the familiar tenor easily, and listened intently for clues about his mood. _Where is Bella now? Probably off with Edward again, silly girl. But I need to give her more space. I don't want her to move out. Oh, and I need to call Billy about the game on Saturday...he should be home by now. If not, I'm sure Jake's home. I'll just leave a message..._ His thoughts continued to penetrate the thin barrier of mind, rambling on about things he had done at work that day, and things that still had to be done.

"Don't worry-he's in a good mood." I said, although that was debatable. He was still warming up to the fact that Bella was not grounded any more, and still desired a bit less of my presence. Maybe this wasn't the best time for this. But we only had a few months until the wedding, and who knew how quickly he'd learn to live with me? Better now than never.

We both climbed out of the car, me jogging casually to grab her hand as we walked up the short pathway to the front door. It was unlocked, so we stepped inside, Bella calling out, "We're home, Dad!" There was a soft grunt from the living room, and the sounds of a basketball game wafted through the short hallway between us. "We want to talk to you for a sec," she continued, getting right to the point.

We strolled casually into the living room, still holding hands, and despite her quick and to the point manner, I could feel intensity and stress coming off her in waves. "It's going to be fine," I whispered in her ear almost silently. She nodded, although I could tell she wasn't entirely convinced. We sat down on the sofa, and finally Charlie's attention turned to us.

"Dad, Edward and I are engaged," she announced timidly, still tentative.

But no one expected what happened next, as Charlie gasped and fell back in his chair, dropping the remote control for the TV on the ground next to him, his eyes wide open, and then he was still.

**I hope you liked it! R&R, please! Sorry for the cliff-hanger, it should all be resolved in the next chapter! I'll try to get the next one up soon!**


	3. Hospital

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine, they are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Keep reading! It gets better, I promise! R&R, please!**

**Sorry it took me so long to update!**

**Bella's POV**

I gasped as Charlie's limp form slipped lower in his seat. He looked peaceful–he could have been asleep.

"Don't worry–he's still breathing, and he's got a steady pulse," said Edward calmly, and I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding.

"That's good–let's get him to the hospital. Or should we just go to Carlisle?"

"Whichever you prefer. Although Carlisle is working right now, so it's really the same place."

"Okay then...let's get to the hospital," was all I could think to say before I collapsed onto the couch, taking in the scene--Charlie lying limply on the couch, Edward eyeing me warily, measuring my reaction, and my own body hyperventilating on the couch.

"He's going to be okay, Bella, I promise. I can still hear his thoughts, clear as a bell. They might be blank, but he's still doing fine. Let's just get him to Carlisle," Edward whispered, leaning down to caress my cheek, simply making my breathing speed up with my heart.

Eventually I calmed down and we climbed into Edward's shiny silver Volvo. He carried Charlie out to the car and placed him gently in the backseat, buckling him in his seatbelt faster than I could trace the movement. He climbed in the car, and before I had noticed us leaving, the car was parked in front of the Forks Community Hospital, where Carlisle works.

Edward hauled Charlie's massive body into the waiting room, where the receptionist gasped at Edward's beauty. I sighed. "Hello. I'm Edward Cullen, son of Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and my fiance's father has just had a heart attack of some sort. His name is Charlie Swan."

"Oh, Chief Swan, yes, yes. I suppose you would like to take him to your father, then, Edward?" said the receptionist in the most flighty obnoxious voice I have ever heard. It was obvious she was trying to impress him, although she was obviously let down that he was engaged.

"Ummm...sooner rather than later would be good, Edward..." I said hesitantly.

"Bella, darling, just be patient. Charlie will be fine, I promise. If you want, I can call Alice–although I'm sure she would have called if she saw anything drastic happening." Edward's voice was, once again, meant to be reassuring, although it only left me feeling slightly nauseated–he wasn't entirely sure, and I knew it.

Finally, the receptionist asked politely for $20 payment, her heart still beating frantically to my ears, despite my human hearing. I was surprised when Edward whipped out a twenty, holding it out to her before she finished speaking. I hadn't realized that we would have to pay, especially since Carlisle worked here, although what was $20 to a handful of billionaire vampires?

The receptionist stood up slowly, apologizing constantly to Edward for the delay. Apparently it was a very busy evening in the ER. Eventually we were guided into the "busy" emergency room: there were even a few doctors sitting in a corner, playing cards. Edward's hand led me gently by the small of my back, keeping me upright. "It will be okay, love," he whispered in my ear for the umpteenth time that day, picking up a small loose piece of hair and tucking it lovingly behind my ear.

We left Charlie in the care of Carlisle 5 minutes later, and sat in uncomfortable squashy couches in the waiting room right outside his care unit. Edward and Carlisle had persuaded me that it would do no good to worry or look on with anxious eyes as Charlie was treated, and despite my persistence, Edward won. I laid my head on his shoulder and looked up into his eyes, looking for signs of weariness or fatigue, and finding none. Either he had been telling the truth about Charlie's condition, or he was being very careful about his thoughts and expressions so as to keep me calm.

When he noticed my wandering eyes, he locked his gaze on mine, his eyes, a deep and glowing topaz today, more intense than usual. I reached up and kissed him briefly, simply to clear my mind of unhappy, morbid thoughts, and leaned on his chest, inhaling his scent.

"Bella, would you like to sleep? You must be exhausted. You were up all night last night and its nearing 9:30," Edward asked, always methodical, thinking of me first. I nodded, knowing that, despite my better efforts, sleep would soon overtake me, especially lying safely on his cold, hard chest. "Sleep now, my love," he said, although he might have been singing, his deep velvet voice was so silky smooth, speaking the familiar comforting words I heard often from him.

**Hope you liked it! R&R, please! Keep reading! Hopefully I'll get the next one up faster than this one!**


	4. HospitalPart 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic. They are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Sorry it took so long to update! I hope the next few chapters are more exciting!**

Jacob's POV:

I arrived at my house 2 hours after heading home, tired of running from my problems, my legs tired and sore from the week of running. Billy was gone, off fishing, but there was a message on the answering machine. I pressed play and waited for the message to come on. Then her voice filled the room, echoing through the empty kitchen. I pressed stop, trying to save myself from crumpling to the floor. Her voice had been urgent, and I almost had the breath to wonder what was up. Listening to it again was out of the question. If I heard her voice one more time, I would keel over with pain.

Moments later, the phone rang. It was Cullen. _Edward._ I sneered the name. "What do you want?" I asked cruelly, letting my hatred mask the anger and frustration I felt.

"It's Charlie. He's in the hospital. Bella wants you to come. I'll leave, I promise." He said it quickly, in one breath, as if he was in pain personally.

"What happened?" I asked. Even if Bella could never be mine, Charlie was like family.

"He had a heart attack last night. Bella and I were both there when it happened. He's in intensive care now, but things are not looking good." Edward's voice was grave. It was just like Harry, so unexpected, so unreal.

"I'll be over in a few minutes. Will they let me in?"

"Bella will be waiting for you. I'll make sure you can see her. She really needs you now." If the situation hadn't been so serious, I would have taken the time to declare the victory that was. The grimace in his voice was evident.

"What room?"

"101. But we'll meet you on the first floor by the main entrance."

"Be there in a minute." I hung up, my head reeling, my feet already moving toward the spot where my keys were sitting on the counter, and then out the door. The trip to the hospital should have taken at least 20 minutes, but it flew by in a moment. I would get to see her face, and I wasn't entirely sure whether that was a good thing or not yet.

When I got to the hospital I was inside in an instant, at Bella's side, hugging her close to me. Edward left, realizing that we needed a moment alone.

"Bella, are you okay?" I asked, anxious.

She nodded, but I knew Bella was prone to lying. "How's Charlie doing?" I led her over to a couch for fear she would topple over.

"Not great. He is still in intensive care. Oh, Jake, I don't want to lose him! This is all my fault!" She leaned her head on my shoulder and I rubbed her back.

"Its not your fault. Sometimes bad things just happen." It was all I could think to say, but she didn't look particularly reassured.

"But it is!" she sobbed. "I told him Edward and I were engaged, and he had a heart attack!"

"Bella, it was just bad timing...its not your fault, shhh...everything will be okay."

I hugged her again. "Do you want Edward again?"

She shrugged, showing no preference.

"I'll go get him," I said, running off. I was hurt by her indifference, but what Bella wanted was most important right now. I got the disgusting parasite, telling him that I had to leave.

I climbed into the Rabbit, trying desperately to drive straight and not cry. _It's too late now, _I thought. _Get over it. _When I got home, Billy was there, but thank goodness he wasn't in a nosy mood today. I ran to my room quickly, not wanting to collapse in front of him. _Maybe I'll go for a run..._I thought. _I definitely need it. _And then, as quickly as I had come in, I left, not even stopping for 2 seconds to explain my rush to Billy. _I'll explain later. _He would find out anyway–he knew everything that went on on the reservation.

I ran into the woods, phasing without a thought. But, Quil and Embry were there too, in my head. Seeing everything I saw, feeling every quiver of pain and sadness I felt. And Sam wouldn't stop them now. _What's wrong? _Quil asked in my head.

_Nothing. Leave me alone._ I thought back viciously. But I knew they would persist, and Embry was close enough to catch up quickly. I ran back the way I came, phasing as I hit the forest's edge.

_Stupid world, _I thought angrily. It wasn't their fault, really, and I'm sure they were excited to be able to phase after the week when Sam forbade them from it, but it still made me angry.

When I arrived back at the house, Billy was sitting in the front room, TV not even on, looking grave. "What?" I asked, frustrated still, and mad at myself more than anything for not being the one for her.

"It's Charlie. He passed away a few minutes ago." I collapsed onto the couch, taking in his words like breath–taking it without realizing what was happening, without a thought, not truly understanding. I went back to my room, and lay there, staring up at the ceiling, daring myself to fall asleep.

**Sorry for killing off Charlie, you guys! Consider it Bella's punishment for picking Edward. It gets better, I promise! It won't all be sad!**


	5. Edward's Reaction

**Disclaimer: The characters in this fic are the sole property of the great and glorious Stephenie Meyer, and I am simply borrowing them to have a little bit of fun!**

**Sorry it took so long! Oh, the suspense! Keep the reviews coming! They're very encouraging and I won't keep writing unless I know I have people who like to read what I write!**

**Edward's POV: **

Bella sat on the edge of her bed, unmoving, staring blankly into space with none of the usual expression that usually occupied her face in my presence. She had sat there, ever so still, for at least 3 hours, although even I had lost track of time, simply concentrating on her, trying to assure myself that she would be okay, that Charlie's passing wouldn't devastate her as horribly as I know she had been torn apart in the past. I had given up trying to talk to her hours ago, allowed her to sit in her quiet reverie, although every 20 minutes or so I would whisper her name, gently, hoping she would respond, but with no luck.

"Bella," I crooned for what felt like the thousandth time. "Bella, darling, it's going to be all right, just talk to me, love." She still remained unmoved. I sighed, resting my head back against the back of the rocking chair in which I sat. It felt odd, sitting in her room in silence, not even Charlie's thoughts echoing through the empty house to break the reverie.

It might have been a minute, or even hours later-I wasn't paying attention to anything but her unchanging face-when my cell phone rang, Debussy's _Clair de Lune_ whistling through the stiff quiet at a volume only my sensitive ears could detect. It was at my ear in a second, wondering why Carlisle would call, as he only did very infrequently, and generally only in cases of emergency.

"How is she?" I was confused by the urgent, cold tone, and it was at once obvious that the call hadn't come from Carlisle, but the _dog_.

"What do you want? Bella's fine. I assure you she's safe with me." It was frustrating that he would call me at a time like this, and I had to work to keep my tone civil. It was getting easier, conversing with him as if he was a normal human, but it always bothered me in times like this, especially because Bella made it perfectly obvious that he had every right to know everything I did. We _were _mortal enemies after all-I couldn't possibly be expected to treat him to hugs and puppies.

"Can I please speak to her? I just need to hear her voice...just to be sure. Please." His voice was begging at the end, obviously sickened by the fact that he had to ask _me _to talk to her. I knew it was what Bella would want, to treat him like family, and act politely, so I felt obligated to at least tell him the truth. It wasn't as if he could possibly hurt her over the phone.

"She isn't really fit to talk to anyone-she's in a kind of reverie. It's a shockingly painful experience, you know." I continued to fight against the strong desire to hang up.

"Is something wrong? Is she okay?" The boy was losing me. He needed to get a grip.

"Yes, Jacob. She _is fine._ I assure you, she is in capable hands. She will be fine. I'm sorry, but she won't even speak to me now. When she is feeling better, I'm sure she will call you. I'll make sure she knows you're concerned. Now, Jacob, I have more important things to do. Good bye." I put the phone down gently, my patience returned as I could return to Bella's side. I descended upon her, wrapping my arm around her back, rubbing her gently. "Bella," I whispered into her ear. "Please, please listen to me. Come back. Listen, please. I need you to respond, please. Love, please." 


End file.
